Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A21
SPORTS Wednesday 21 February 2018

Cavs, Warriors ready

to chase in NBA's

sprint to the finish

By BRIAN MAHONEY even with James. The Cav-
LeBron James had a trophy aliers added new pieces
in his hands and a smile on around him earlier this
his face. month, and there's not a lot
That was Sunday at the All- of time left to build champi-
Star Game, when James onship chemistry.
again rose above the NBA's The Cavs went into the
best in winning a game break with four straight
and MVP honors. wins, but they're still just
What he really wants is to third in the conference and
be celebrating in the post- couldn't gain any ground
season, not midseason. on the Raptors, who have
The NBA's sprint to the fin- won seven straight to pass
ish begins Thursday with the Celtics. Toronto is an
James riding high but start- NBA-best 24-4 at home and
ing again from back in the could make the Cavs' NBA
pack as Cleveland tries to Finals plans difficult if they
catch Toronto and Boston have to go through Cana-
in the Eastern Conference. da.
"We just added four new "We would hope so, but
guys before the break, and we've got to get there,"
we have a lot of work to Raptors All-Star guard Kyle
do," James said. "So I really Lowry said. "We've got to
don't like to think that too far finish the season strong."
ahead. But obviously win- Much of the work is already Team Stephen's Stephen Curry, left, of the Golden State Warriors, and Team LeBron's LeBron James,
of the Cleveland Cavaliers, stand together during the first half of an NBA All-Star basketball game,
ning championships is what done, since the NBA's earli- Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018, in Los Angeles.
it's all about. That's what er start to this season means Associated Press
this league is all about and teams are well beyond
hopefully at the end of the the midway point of their
road then I have the Cavs schedules. They will have for fourth place and home- other behind that has the 10 games and at 44-14 al-
there to actually compete about 25 games remain- court advantage in the first momentum. ready have more losses
for one, to be in a finals ing, with so much to sort out round between Washing- "The Raptors have been than they averaged over
representing the East."The in both conferences. ton and Indiana, and posi- playing really well. Cleve- the last three seasons (13).
Golden State Warriors are It's a two-team race at the tioning to be settled down land has been playing real- Coach Steve Kerr made it
also in the unusual position top of the West but things the bottom of the bracket, ly well. But we've got to get clear that his team need-
of pursuers, after red-hot are tight well beyond that. where Milwaukee, Philadel- back to playing really well, ed a rest and now that
Houston passed them for San Antonio is just percent- phia and Miami hold the too," the Celtics' Jaylen the Warriors had it, they're
the league's best record age points ahead of Min- final three spots. Brown said. "So as the sea- ready to try to reel in the
with 10 straight wins lead- nesota for third while still But the biggest question son moves forward, we're Rockets.
ing into the All-Star break. hoping Kawhi Leonard re- might be the Celtics, who looking forward to getting "We've got 20-something
But nobody would count turns from his thigh injury, slumped into the break back to the top spot." games before the playoffs
out the Warriors, not with and it's a gap of only 4 1/2 with three straight losses Same with the Warriors, to chase another cham-
their star-studded group games from there to 10th after leading the confer- who were hurt by the lon- pionship," All-Star Stephen
that has won two of the last place, where the Utah Jazz ence most of the season, ger-than-usual time it took Curry said. "So, ready to hit
three titles. have won 11 straight. and now have one team to reach the break. They the ground running when
Cleveland is the unknown, The East has a close race ahead of them and an- were just 6-4 in their last we get back."q